Ferris wheel



l. J. SIEBERT FERRIS WHEEL Sept. 29, 1925.

Fi1e- Sept. 22, 1923 2 stitsnm 1.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l. J. SIEBERT FERRIS WHEEL Jiled Sgpt. 22. 1923 HHHU@ Sept 29, 1925 Tim-.

Patented Sept. 29, 1925 IRWI1\T J. SIEIBEZRT, O'ZE GLEVELAND, OI-IIO.

FERRIS WHEEL.

Application filed September 22, 1923. Serial 1\T o. 664323.

T0 all an720m z't may crmcem:

Be it known that I, IRWIN J. SIEBERT, a eitizen 0f the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county oft Cuyahoga and State 0]. Ohio have invented eert-ain new und useful Improvements in Penis VVheels, 01"? which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with amusemen apparatus und aims primarily toprovide an improved type 01 Ferris wheel.

In t11e carrying 0ut 0f the invention my espeeial object has been to prodnce a Ferris whee1 in which the cars are mounted pecu- ]iar1y by certain nove1 means, whereby at predetermined periods dmring the rotaion 015 the wheel with seid cars, an extra and unusnal movement of the cms Will take place independent entirely ef their regulr rotetion With the wheel. The seid movement in pra'etice is a gravitative dropping move- 1nent and is such that in the operation of the apparatus the oceupants of the ca1s are given an extra thri1l due t0 the rather unexpected dropping or gmvitation 01E the cm under the conditions above stated. In the circumstances, therefore, a Ferris wheel equipped with the improvernents of the invention aff0rrds 21 nove1 action condueive 150 exhilaration and amusing exoitement on the part of th0se W110 ride 011 the whee], making the amusement means especially attractive from the view-point 0'E enjoyment in use and its money emning qualities.

F01 a fu11 comprehension of the invention and its advantages in operation reference is t0 be had t0 the following description in conjunction with the annexed dmwings, in which: v

Figure 1 .is a side view showing in a genera1 way the essential features 0f a Ferris wheel involving the improvements of my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end view showing essentially a pair 0f spokes or arn1s of the wheel and the car in the act of being raised 130 its uppermost position preparatory to dropping, the dotted 1ines indieating the range of the dropping movement and the readjustment 0f the parts incident thereto.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary seetional view on ehe 1ine 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a speeial c1utch .meehanism employed to retard the dropping movement of the cm in action.

Figure 5 is a sectional view haken aboufl on the 1ine 55 of Figure 3, am].

Figure 6 is a sectional view tanken 0n ehe line 66 0f Figure4.

Referring t0 the invention es t0 its gen eral features 0f construction, it is notab1e filmt I propose t0 employ a Ferris whee1 which may be largely of eonventional form ns regards its hub and c1r supporting arms, ifs mounting upon a base frzurne, and the method 01 Operation to revolve the whee1 when in action. Under these conditions I have illustrated my wheel in a general way es similar 150 nmny at present in use in so fa1 215 it involves the hub struoture A, the cm supporting arms B, the base 01 supporting t(mme C comprising ]argely a series 0f supportingz lege and the power driving in strumenfalities whieh a1e rather diagrammac-ical1y illustrated es including a motor D, a shaft- 1 geared to a Sh af1; 2 and the beve1 gern. 3 on the shaft 2 engages beve1 gear 4 011 the hub sructure A Of the whee]. The whee1 W111b6 driven er rotated, therefore, in the wel1 known vvay, being revolved in a counter elockwise direction, as illustrated in Figure 1. As shown best by Figure 2 the arms B are arranged in pairs and between the arme of each pair is mounted to operate The mounting of the car 5 is peculiar 150 this invention, and is 1ofeferably substan tially as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4: 015 the drawings. Eaeh pair f.arms B is provided with an axle 01" shaft 6, carrying auxiliary car supporting arme 7 Which are. keyed t0 rotate with said ax1e 6, or otherwise seeured y thereto. The ear 5 is supported t0 freely rotate upon a eross-bar 8 attached 110 the free ends of the arms 7. Any suitable means 013 suspension maybe employed between the parts 5 and 8. The axles Gare journaled in the mein car supporting arms B, pas.sing through said arms at points where the arms are preferably equipped with fixed clutch members 9, seen best in Figure 4, On their outer extremities the axles 6 are squared, as shown at 10 and are screwdshreaded as shown at 11. On the squared or man? sided portion of said axles are mounted the movin c1utch members 12. These c1tch members beim; arranged with grooved frietion surf'aces that receive the flange friction surfaces 9* 0f the stationary olutch members 9, which it Will be remembered are rigid with the mein car .S11Pp0ring arms B. Coi1ed tension springs 13 are provided intermediate the movable clutch members 12 0f th axle 6 and' abut n1ents c0n'sis t ing 01 nuts 14 and washers which provide bearing means f01 tl1e 0uter encls of saicl springs 13. Tl1e metl1ocl 01 secnrlngi' filme aix'lxil'ialj," supporting anns 7 130 .the axles 6 is seen in l3igure 4 to best advantage Wl1010 tb0 pzuf'tS irre illustrated as keyed togetl1er ab 16.

Thus 12'211 lt Will b'e apparent that fihcafs are adapted t0 freely swing upon the auxil'iafy supPorting arms 7 through the proflsio n 0f the axles 6 and a.s controlle l by m(aans'now to be set forth. As seen in FigureS 3 ancl 5 in detail each 016 tl1emain car su'pporting arms 01 spokes B 0f the wl1eel eXtends S0me distance beyond lhe axes es tablished by the axles G. On tl1e projecting 0i extencling portlons 0f the :ir1ns B I pro- Vide abutment lugs 17 extencling inwardly towarcl eacl1 othersufliciently t0 overlap ancl engage the arms 7 at a certain weint in the rotation of the wheel, t-l1is point being, practically speaking, tl1at in which filme arms 7 a're.at their lowermost positions.

Tl1e foregming inclicates tl1e constrmzllnn 0f my invention as t0 its novel features excepting' t-l1at 1 may note that the abutment lugs 17 may los detachab1v connected 130 the arrns B by means substantially as illustrated 511 Figure 5.

The operation 0f Iny Ferris wheel including' the improvements sei: forth is as foll0ws: Assuming that the wheel is being rotated in ehe Customary way by flae driving mechanism before describecL as the. arms B reach their lower-most positions the cars 5 Will likeWise have 10aclxed their l0wcr-most positions. It is at this time that rl1e abutment lugs 17 engage the zir1ps 7 and by such engagement support said anns at noints interrnecliate their encls, ancl at p0inls intermediate their connection With the arms B ancl the cars 5, until the cars reacl1 theif uppen most position, as illustrated in Figure l. Uncler these conditions the arms 7 project o'utwardly from tl1e arfn s B. VVl1en each car reaches its upperinost posiizion, as seen in Figure 1. or rather passes jsii beyond the vertical lin e inters0ctinq iihe axis 6 and the axis 18 0f the Wheel, tl1e cooperafiing 1ugs 17 n0 longer s0port the afms 7 and they are free t0 swinglate=rally in an arc 0f a little more than 180 as tl1e wheel is tfirning, and inclependently 0f said turning movgmsnt. Obviousl v the foregoing-range pfmovement a'nd action 0f the car 5 fr0m 1 ts .uppermosfg position swinggfiing- 011 its own a'x1s 6sepalrately from its turning operation;with tlie whee]. gi.ves a rafiher sudden di'op to' be aal, and this pecliar nriovernent is \ch e one which gives an aclded thrill 01' ezghilapatio'n and amusiiig ezzcitemei1tin t-he Operation: 01 I mYFe'rris Wh"eel. Th0 rang6 dropped su ddenly. H0'Wevei', tl1e. car might swing a little greater distance t0 the right than that shown in F igu1e 1, depending \I1p0n' tl0 c0n'fi'101 1Ii'eans.

As a means to regulaie the car against 100 s'udclen dropping when lt reaches its upper most p 0sitlon the clutch mechanism compiising the mmbers 9 and 12, prev1ously set f0rth is utilizecl. This mechanism cmnprisss l'l1e fricti0n 0lulch inembexs in constant cn :agement with 0110 an0ther, the friction 01 11he engagemena 2idapte l to be increasecl 01 decreasocl as req uirecl by tl1e adjusting 1neans 1 '1, so filmt greater o11ess speed may be acnieved in fl1 e dr0pping action 1 13110 car during the rotation 01 the wheel.

1 (10 n0t c0nfine 1nyself t0 tl10 special clutcl1 means illustrat0cl, as several types 01 such 1neans coulcl well be 6mployed, so long as tl1e clesirecl resu1t is attainecl. 1

Having tl1us described my inwentioi1 What 1 claim als new ancl clesire 10 se0ure by Letters Ealtent 0f tl10 Unitecl Stabes i"s 1. An amusemnl device comprising an upright wheel ln0unfied 170 turn about a horizontal axis, auxiliaiy ca1. supporting ar1ns pivoted t0 tl1e Wheel so as t0 have a swinging movement relative thereto, cars pivotally suspenrlecl fro1n tl1e supporting arrns, ancl 1neans f0r hol(ling tl1e anns in one p0siti 0n clnring a portion 0f the movement 0f Ehe, Wl1eel ancl permitting them 110 assume diffeirenlt p0sifi0ns during 0tl1er portions 0f the movement 0f ehe wheel.

2. An un1usement clevi0e cmprising an uprigl1l: wl1cel mounlml 130 hun about a horizontal axis auxi1iary Ca1 supporting anns pivolecl t0 tl1e Wl1eel so as t0 hau a swinging m0vement relative thereto, cars piv0tally suspenclecl f1'0111 tl1e auxiliary suppoirting a11ns, ancl trip means f01 causing t-l1e auxiliary supporting arms t0 p1ojecl; out- Wardly ancl away from the axis 0f 13h0 wheel during the upward movement 0 f the cars und 130 bang freely from tl1eir pivofal: counect ions with the wheel. during 13110 downy ward moveinent 0f tlie cars. 3. An amusement dev1ce compr;s1ng an upright Wheel mounted t0 turn abo ufi a horizontal axis, auxiliary car supporting arms pivotecl to the Wheel so as t0 have a swinging movement relative tl1ereto, 0a1s pivotally suspended f10n1 tl1e auxiliary supporting ar'ms, and trip means f01 causin'g the auxiliary supporting anns t0' project 011i;- warclly away from tlie axis of the wheel during tl1e upward movement. 0f the cars ancl releasing the arms when the Gans reach their uppermost positions, whereup0n' the cars take a sudden drop ancl the ai1xiliary ann s hang freely from their -pivotal conne0ti0ns witly the wheel during the1owerfing i9 4:. An amsemefit device comprising an I'll upright wheel mounted t0 tum about a horizontal axis, auxiliary cm supporting arms pivotally connected 130 the wheel and adapted t0 project radi.ally therefrom, cars pivotally suspended ir0m the supporting arms trip means cooperating Wiiih the 21JTHIS f01' causing the1n t0 project rzzdially from the wheel during the raising 0f the cars, said auxiliary supprting arms being released when the respective cars mach their uppermost positions, whe1eupon the cars take a sudden chop and the supporting arms hang free1y f101n their pivotal connections with the wheel chuing the lowering 0f the cars, and retarding means f0r preventing t00 rapid movement of th' cars during the szid sudden drop when the supporting arms are released.

5. An amusement device comprising an upright wheel mounted t0 turn about a horizontal axis, auxiliary car supporting arms pivoted to the wheel und adapted to project radially therefrom, cars pivotally Suspended from the supporting arms, and abutments 0n the wheel arranged for engagement with the respective auxiliary upporting arms whereby the said arms are caused to project radially from the wheel while the cars are being raised and are suddenly released when the cars mach their uppermost positions, whereupon the cars and auxiliary supporting arms have a sudden downward swinging movement independent of the movement of the wheel and the auxiliary supporting arms hang freely from their pivotal connections with the wheel during the downward movement 0f the cars by the wheel.

6. An amusement device comprising an upright wheel mounted to turn about a horizontal axis, auxiliary car supporting arms pivoted t0 the wheel and adapted t0 project radially therefrom, ca1s pivotally suspended. from the supporting arms, abutments on the wheel arranged for engagement with the respective auxiliary supporting arrns, whereby the latter am caused t0 project radially Ifr0m the wheel while the cars am being raised and are released when the respective cars mach their uppermost positions, whereupon the cars have a sudden downward movement independent 0f the movement 0f the wheel and the auxiliary supporing arms bang freely fron1 their pivotal connections with the wheel during the downward movement of the cars, and clutch means a1; the connection between the wheel and auxiliary supporting arme f01 retarding the cars 011 their sudden downward movement when the auxiliary arms are released at their uppermost positions.

7. An amusement device comprising an upright Wheel mounted to turn about a horizontal axis, horizontal shafts arranged about the periphery 0f the wheel, friction means applied to the shafts t0 prevent rapid rota tion thereof, auxiliary car supporting arms rigid with the shafts, cars pivotally sus pended from the auxiliary supporting arms, and abutments on the whee1 arranged for engagement Wih the respective auxiliary car supporting arms, whereby the arms prject radially f1om the wheel while the cars are being raised, the cars being suddenly released when they reach their upper- 1nost positions, Whereup0n they have a downward swinging movement independent of the movement of the wheel, and the auxil iary supporting arms bang freely from the shafts during the downward movement of thecars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signahure.

y IRWIN J. SIEBERT. 

